AAP leaders join protest, demand release of arrested farmers

Joining the farmers' protest, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday supported the demands of agitating farmers who have been protesting against the registration of attempt to murder cases and the arrest of 21 farmers outside the Patiala deputy commissioner's office from August 6.

Joining the farmers' protest, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday supported the demands of agitating farmers who have been protesting against the registration of attempt to murder cases and the arrest of 21 farmers outside the Patiala deputy commissioner's office from August 6.

AAP's Punjab unit convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur and Patiala MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi along with many other leaders joined the protest and criticised the state government for their action against the farmers.

The AAP party convener termed the lathicharge on farmers a 'dictatorial' attitude of the state government and said the party has also raised the issue in the Parliament. "Our party will support the demands of protesting farmers and would call our all leaders to intensify the protest across the state until the state government does not release the arrested farmers," Chhotepur added.

Gandhi also criticised the move of police and announced an infinite protest along with the Bharti Kisan Union (Dakaunda) activists in the city.

Protesting against the arrest of farmers, following clash between them and the police at Hariau village in Patran on August 6, the Bharti Kisan Union (Dakaunda) activists along with more than 60 families from the village had launched an infinite chain hunger strike, which on Thursday entered its seventh day.

The protesters claimed that even after a week, the farmers were still on chain hunger strike, pressing for their demands. "The state government has failed to address our demands. This shows their lackadaisical attitude," they alleged.

The AAP leaders once again claimed that the district administration acted in an atrocious way and evicted the farmers from their land and sealed their properties without having the proper orders of the high court.

"The Hariau village panchayat has a stay order of the land. Even then the administration reeling under the political pressure of ruling party took this extreme step and sealed the properties in village on August 6," Gandhi said.

Protesting farmers said MLAs from Ludhiana Balwinder Singh Bains and Simarjit Singh Bains have also extended their support and would join them on Friday.

Buta Singh, state president of BKU said, "A meeting with various representatives of around 17 unions was held in Ludhiana on Thursday. We have decided to continue our chain hunger strike in the city and have also decided to launch an agitation in Chandigarh and other cities of the state to press for our demands."

Meanwhile, the members demanded that the administration should hand over the confiscated land to the farmers and give compensation to the families for demolished houses and other things, including electric motors and their crops.